Sweet Liberty

March 12, 2010

Dear Ann.
Wednesday morning, 11 a.m. The line for the Liberty of London for Target pop-up store at Bryant Park was around the block. All female. All caffeinated. Visibly hyperventilating.
I had the privilege of spending my 15 minutes of ladylike line-waiting behind this smashing ensemble of orange coat, white Kate Spade bag, skinny jeans and boots. O, to be young and bangin’.
I want you to know that I brought NO KNITTING. I needed to have all my wits about me. (Instead I whiled away the time talking to you on my cell phone.)
Once inside, the delirium overtook any thought I had had of taking photos. It’s a very non-Targetty atmosphere in there. “Heady” is the word. I thought I was imagining the scent of hyacinths, but no. Real hyacinths. Boys and girls with headsets, smiling and restocking as fast as they can. Armloads of umbrellas did not make it across the floor to their destination—too many takers.
The stuff is great. I scored a not-to-be-disclosed number of the men’s shirts. To those who, like me, worried that the fabric would not be up to snuff, quality-wise, be assured that it’s lovely. One of the dashing floor managers (who did not blink when I asked him “what size is the shirt you’re wearing?”) told me, “This is the nicest shirt I’ve ever worn.” I’ve laundered and pressed one (in the service of Scientific Research), and while the fabric may not technically be Tana Lawn, it’s certainly inspired by the true story of Tana Lawn. Very fine and light, with a silky hand and a great willingness to submit to Rowenta. I’m not taking any of them back.
Ann! This weekend we are meeting up at the Madison Knitters’ Guild’s annual shindig! We are going to be blabbing our heads off, like never before! Can’t wait!
I leave you with a parting image of Heaven on Sixth Avenue. It would make a good quilt, no?
The Liberty for Target pop-up store at Bryant Park will be there for 2 more days–today and tomorrow. Git on it!
Love,
Kay

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34 Comments

Belinda
March 12, 2010 at 9:47 am

I think you’re fibbing. I can see at least one man in that top photo! Glad the quality is good. Wouldn’t like Liberty to be exporting cheapo stuff.
Was there a scoff for Olive? A Liberty scoff would go well with the handknits, but a handknit scoff might be just Too Much on the knitting front what with the delish sweaters she has.

I saw the Liberty for Target commercial and had to rewind to make sure I saw it right. Niiiice!

Stephanie B.
March 12, 2010 at 9:58 am

I’m always out of the country for the fun stuff!!
Glad you made it, have fun in Madison.

Rose Sell
March 12, 2010 at 10:08 am

Forget retiring to Florida…when I am old and gray I am going to NYC so I don’t miss out on stuff like this!

Barbara
March 12, 2010 at 10:36 am

Green with envy that you have an “A” Tar-shay store! Thanks for sending photos to those of us who live in the hinterlands.

Tish
March 12, 2010 at 10:37 am

HAHA- every time I see the Liberty for Tar-zhay commercials I immediately think “Gotta email Kay- she’ll love it!”. Glad to see you already were on it (of course!). I can’t wait to snag a huge Liberty print watering can. Just the thing for my big planters since Tar-zhay sold out of the hot pink garden hoses last summer before I snagged one (the green with hints of duct tape is too bleargh for the pretty flowers- must find pink hose before growing season). Luckily for me there are 4 Tar-zhays within 20 min of my house and a handful more on the way to my daughters’ abodes up north so they can scour theirs if mine are deficient.

I can’t tell you how sad I am that I live in Canada now. No Target! Woe! I might have to send my mom on an emergency run, though. She already thinks I’m crazy, this won’t change things.

mary sue
March 12, 2010 at 12:02 pm

Last week when I caught the Target ad at hmmm o’clock, way past any decent bedtime, I woke Mr. Taylor up from his couch sleep and rewound it so I could believe it was true. Target, my America feel good shopping zone, meets Liberty, one of my favorite stores in the world. Can Spring get any better. And now, to see that the whole thing kicked off in the garment district, Bryant Park no less, my favorite NYC shopping zone. Worlds are colliding here.

Lynn in VA
March 12, 2010 at 12:30 pm

It sounds like you really scored! Mazel tov! I’m waiting anxiously for Sunday morning, but I don’t think they’ll have quite the same selection here in the hinterlands. We’ll see.

OMG! those blown up images on the building! Let’s blow up our Liberty prints!!!! Blown up Liberty print wallpaper! On the refrigerator! INSIDE the refrigerator! Will you go back the day they take all that stuff down and try to get the signs?

elizabeth a airhart
March 12, 2010 at 1:17 pm

liberty come to target in florida please
hope madison is fun

Ann
March 12, 2010 at 1:20 pm

I’m all a-quiver after your report. Our Liberty arrives on Sunday morning. Maybe nobody in Dallas is drooling over this as much as I am.

First, I want that orange coat. Even though I’m old and definitely not bangin’. Second, when my children were toddlers, I used to say “If I can’t buy it at Target, I’m not buying it at all” (because that was the only store where I could handle shopping-with-young-children; I’m pretty sure it was the carts). Anyway — now, with the Liberty thing, I think I can say that again!

Oreida
March 12, 2010 at 2:22 pm

Am I the only one who doesn’t know what this is? I am young-ish, but apparently not bangin’.

I have barely been able to sleep, such is my anticipation of the Sunday unveiling of Liberty items at Target (okay, I’m lying. I’ve been sleeping great). BUT, I really am so excited. I, too, want to score some men’s shirts. Let the games begin!

Edith
March 12, 2010 at 3:41 pm

Racked.com is giving updates on the Liberty line for Target – they actually closed the NYC pop-up store today, two days early, because they sold out of merchandise!

I am so excited for this. My local Target actually had some things out early (gasp!) and I managed to grab one of the few remaining toddler dresses. I may have done a little dance of joy, but since nobody was looking, I can pretend I didn’t.

After the estrogen discussion, I went back to look at the photos and noticed that the tall be-banged (and probably bangin’) woman standing just below the word “Target” looks a lot like Debbie Stoller of Stitch n’ Bitch fame. Is that another case of worlds colliding, or is it just my feverish imagination?

Marianne
March 12, 2010 at 8:00 pm

No, Oreida, you are not alone. I work about 5 blocks from there and have NO CLUE what this is all about. Apparently, we must be quite out of the loop (LOL) – but that’s why I come here: to get in the loop! Hope you made it safely to Wisconsin, Ann!

Lynne
March 13, 2010 at 7:56 am

Oh, the horror of it all! You are both in Madison, which is so close to me (well, within driving distance) and I knew nothing of it until today. I am going to my brother’s 50th birthday party (a surprise) so I cannot attend your fa-boo event! I hope you will speak there next year! I am planning on joining the Madison knitting guild, so perhaps I will hear you speak next year! Have a wonderful time!

Dawn (now from NYC)
March 13, 2010 at 2:31 pm

This explains why there was NOTHING left when I got there at 4:30.

Gail
March 13, 2010 at 9:09 pm

No fair – a pop up Target with Liberty in Bryant Park? people in the city get first crack over the rest of us who have to wait for Sunday ….. I might have gone into the City for this one, as I can afford the train ticket, but not the airfare!

kate
March 14, 2010 at 7:06 pm

I thought their display would make a good quilt too…and, I have been meaning to complain about this…for a couple years I have seen your quilting on this site…and I have fought hard. i have resisted.
I start my first quilting class on the 24th of March.

donna
March 14, 2010 at 10:13 pm

hi!!!
everyone is watching Phoebe…
she may even get her own colourway!!!
phoebeallensweb cam

Stacie
March 15, 2010 at 12:59 pm

I must say that I’m rather disappointed by the selection of Liberty prints at my local Target–none of the prints used in the Target advertising in your first photo appear on any Liberty item I can get.

what? they have men’s shirts…I didn’t even look there!
I got a ‘lawn’ tunic for me and a sleeveless number too!
hmmm…I might go back to target again this week.
I’m de-stashing all my yarn…know anyone who loves to knit with Dale of Norway Svale? I have a lot

maria
March 16, 2010 at 3:34 pm

seriously? the fabric on all the women’s stuff is 99% synthetic, all of the housewares are polyester or melamine, the prints are bleedy & none of them align.
the menswear is cotton, i’ll give you that, but why buy 10 shirts at $5.99 that were sewn by children in china and will only disintegrate in the wash two months from now when you can save to buy a decent fabric that will last years? i think it all speaks to the awful hoarding, “get a deal” mentality.
what ever happened to buy nice or buy twice?